The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 7, 2014

In a long career of strange but absorbing cinema, 1985’s “The Emerald Forest” is one of John Boorman’s more straightforward efforts. A take on the action/adventure genre, the picture doesn’t follow a traditional path of violent excess, electing to provide a more meaningful journey between spasms of violence. The subject presented here is the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people within, finding the movie passionate in its communication of oncoming ecological and tribal disaster. Of course, there’s gunplay and high stakes involved, along with an emotional undercurrent of parental ache, but “The Emerald Forest” is primarily focused on screen immersion, following Boorman’s interests in native rituals and interaction, respectful of culture as he tends to more obvious beats of storytelling. The feature doesn’t deliver on pulse-pounding suspense, but it offers something different, showing concern for characters and fragile surroundings.

In Brazil with wife Jean (Meg Foster) and his two young children, engineer Bill (Powers Boothe) is overseeing the construction of a massive dam that’s intended to halt the flow of water to an expansive section of the Amazon rainforest, allowing the clearing of land for future commercial development. Tragedy occurs when Bill’s son Tommy is stolen by an indigenous tribe known as “The Invisible People,” causing panic and sorrow when the boy isn’t recovered. A decade later, Bill and Jean remain in Brazil, trying to piece their lives together through charity. As work is about to be completed on the dam, Bill accompanies a journalist into the deep reaches of the Amazon, only to be confronted by Tommy, who’s now Tomme (Charley Boorman), a full-fledged member of The Invisible People who’s about to be launched into manhood, taking a bride and assuming tribe responsibility. Stunned and wounded, Bill is reunited with his lost child, only to realize that the boy that was taken from him is no longer his own. However, time is cut short when construction work burns off acreage by the hour, and a warring clan, The Fierce People, gear up with advanced weaponry to destroy all enemies, out to dominate what’s left of the land.

“The Emerald Forest” opens with a declaration that much of the movie was shot in an actual rainforest, establishing authenticity right off the bat, creating a comfort with Boorman’s lush visuals, which emphasize the natural beauty of waterfalls and deep forests, inhabited by a wide variety of creatures. This environmental clarity is important to understand, as it plays a supporting part in the picture, with Boorman contrasting the oxygenated realm of the rainforest with the choked-out, polluted presence of industry, populated with drunks, fools, and opportunists building a kingdom of sin on the edge of the unknown, carelessly pushing forward with tractors and fire to make room for industrial progress. Obviously, Boorman sides with the native element, taking time during “The Emerald Forest” to explore the serene corners of the location and study the natural instinct of The Invisible People, who carry on as one with the land, bathing in rivers and imbibing powdered psychedelics to fuel vision quests, with Tomme’s entrance into manhood a major part of the second act, proving to his native father that he’s ready to one day lead the tribe and continue a respectful harmony with his surroundings.

Boorman isn’t subtle with his preservation message, and he’s surprisingly restrained with the story of Bill and his hunt to find his missing son. The kidnapping subplot is quickly worked over in the first act, finding the production in hurry to move the tale along once Tommy disappears and Bill is left with thousands of rainforest miles to search through. The sting of such a brutal reality is glossed over, leaping forward a decade to observe botched attempts at closure, with Jean becoming a social worker to help neglected kids, while Bill maintains his hope, dimmed some by the harsh years of loss. However, the moment of reunion between Bill and Tomme isn’t quite the swell of emotion one might expect from the situation. Boorman downplays the explosion of pent-up feelings, preferring to hit notes of acknowledgment and move on. This can be frustrating, especially considering the miracle of the moment, with father and son coming together after ten years of separation, both changed in significant ways. “The Emerald Forest” never satisfies on this level of reconnection, and while a swell of melodrama isn’t necessary, additional time with the twosome, along with Jean’s perspective of the discovery, feels vital to the narrative.

Primal rage arrives with The Fierce People, who, after tussling with Bill, acquire a machine gun. Suddenly graduating from arrows and spears to firearms, the tribe becomes a major threat, stealing women from The Invisible People, trading their victims to a local brothel for ammunition. Boorman creates horror in this twist, targeting Tomme and The Invisible People for extinction as they come up against 20th century weaponry and aggression. The screenplay slips into revenge mode for the finale, working to find a rhythm of heroism that helps Bill and Tomme to bond and provides a sufficiently rousing third act. It’s successful, and manages to remain one step ahead of a Schwarzenegger production with its attention to native detail.

The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation does preserve the filmic qualities of "The Emerald Forest," delivering a textured viewing experience that retains grain (which can be erratic) and provides a natural feel for colors, finding forest greenery potent and Tomme's general whiteness hitting with intended impact. Skintones are true. Detail is satisfactory throughout, isolating facial particulars and allowing study of expanse, offering deep backgrounds. Blacks are generally comfortable, supplying adequate delineation during evening adventures. Print is in fine shape, with only a few bursts of scratches and speckling on view.

The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD sound mix keeps to a customary blend of voices and music, with percussive scoring cues adding a minor amount of depth, keeping the tribal beat in play. Dialogue exchanges are largely looped, easing clarity, though there are a few instances when water-based atmospherics manage to smother dramatic efforts. While damage is minimal, there this a consistent popping noise that arrives around the 30:00 mark, remaining noticeable for roughly five minutes. It's on the distracting side, but not a complete deal-breaker.

The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:19, HD) is included.

The Emerald Forest Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's the submersion into an alien culture that's most appealing about "The Emerald Forest." Boorman does an excellent job respecting tribal practices through extended screentime, indulging symbolic dalliances with spirit animals and interpersonal communication. It also helps to have two fine performances from Boothe and Boorman leading the charge, each handling the task of cultural divide with complete comfort. While it doesn't charge ahead with explosive content, "The Emerald Forest" captures the life of the rainforest and its immediate threat, sending a clear message of intent. The production wants the audience to consider the world at large, its fragility and need for advocates, but it's also mindful of escapism, delivering big screen tension to help disguise its homework.